| History of Napa County |
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Napa County History
Like most of Northern California, Napa County’s first residents were Native Americans who tapped the broad range of natural resources for subsistence. Along with hunting wildlife, they depended upon a variety of roots, nuts and insects for their diet. The earliest inhabitants were the Patwin, a group belonging to the larger linguistic group of Wintun Indians. There are also signs that the Wappo people exploited Napa County for their seasonal homes. The history of these native peoples predates the arrival of Mexican and Spanish explorers by more than 4,000 years. The first Europeans to venture into Napa were Father Jose Altimira and Don Francis Castro in 1823. By 1830, they’d been followed by settlers who interacted with the various groups of Native American tribes who were reportedly hostile to each other and frequently at odds with the newcomers. The settlers brought with them a disease that decimated the Indians in a small pox epidemic of 1838.
Yount Makes Napa his Home George Yount is widely believed to have been the first white settler in Napa County. When he first arrived, Yount got by as a hunter and trapper who made friends with the powerful General Mariano Vallejo. In 1836, leveraging this relationship, Yount was given an 11,000 acre land grant by the Mexican government for what was known as the Caymus rancho. He immediately built a log blockhouse – said to be the first in California – and began to expand his holdings. In 1937, he built an adobe house and later added a grist and sawmill. Napa’s first real estate was being developed. He also is said to be the patriarch of Napa’s grape growing industry. Yount planted the first vineyards in Napa County, using grapevines from Mexico. The wine he produced, however, was limited to family and friends and not commercial distribution. Napa Wines Take Root As the Gold Rush years approached and more settlers discovered Napa County, the demand for wine rose. In 1858, Charles Krug established the first commercial Napa Valley winery. In about 1860, the interest in vineyards caused a fateful turn when the first European winegrapes were planted in the Napa Valley. The seeds that drove and continue to sustain Napa County were sown. Napa County also had its own version of the Gold Rush. Mining became a draw, not for gold, but for silver and quick silver. Agriculture and mining coexisted as Napa retained its rural character. Within 30 years there were 619 vineyards responding to a huge thirst for wine in the boom years that followed the Gold Rush. The development of local rail transportation and the opening of the first transcontinental railway in 1869 also fueled the tastes for Napa County wines.
In 1865, George Yount died and the grateful town he founded named itself Yountville. Indeed, Yount may have lived through the best of early times because challenges were on the Napa County horizon. With much of Napa real estate planted in winegrapes, the phylloxera disease hit the economy hard. But the greatest blow to Napa Valley’s burgeoning wine industry came from the U.S. government in the form of Prohibition. The only wineries to hang tenaciously on were those that produced “sacramental” or “medicinal” wines. Consequently, many acres of vineyards were turned over to orchards that produced walnuts and plums. Prohibition caused a long, dry spell for Napa and it wasn’t until the 1960s that the industry received a new infusion of interest. That passion came from the legendary Robert Mondavi who died in 2008 after driving Napa Valley wines to worldwide recognition and success. Around his efforts other giants of wine producing created a world class, recognized appellation that continues to grow and thrive. Napa Vineyards Renewed This revitalized industry saw an increasing amount of Napa real estate turned to vineyards. Large producers invested heavily in Napa County and, at the same time, families invested in small Napa homes and acreage to build boutique wineries that today attract millions of visitors every year. There are about 200 wineries throughout Napa County growing a wide range of winegrapes for dozens of varietals– from Cabernet Sauvignon to Burgundy, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. There’s been a reintroduction of old Italian grape stock for Pinot Grigio, and more experimentation to expand the variety of grapes that thrive in the fertile soils of Napa County. Napa County real estate also runs the gamut, from grand vineyards and palatial homes to more modest houses in friendly towns or the countryside. No matter where you live, however, your Napa County home is within reach of one of the world’s most beautiful and productive landscapes – yours to savor and enjoy each and every day. |
